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Friday, 18 April 2014

When tall, dark, and gorgeous shows up on your self-prescribed emotional recovery vacation, some would call it fate smiling down on you. If he also happens to be interested in your work and ready to make all the room you need in his life, it starts to sound too good to be true. Alexa skips the doubts and jumps right in, only to be thrown into the mysterious world of vampires.

The secrets of their origin and their very existence are far more important than her life to some of her new acquaintances. They are ancient, they are powerful, they have unlimited resources, and they are keen on controlling what the world knows of their kind. As Alexa discovers their complicated, blood feud bound world, she tries to better understand herself, heal old wounds and give love chance after chance. Will she survive the journey?

ExcerptI walked to the heavy wooden door, stopped, and took a few deep breaths. Then I pushed and pushed. When the huge obstacle didn’t move, I looked and saw a discrete PULL sign on it that I had completely missed. I swore and walked into a large club with a long pub-like bar, tall stools, large red-and-black couches, and low tables spread around the rest of the room. It was huge and the dim lights barely chased the shadows away, but I could see it was mostly empty. Except for a few men at the bar and three groups at some of the farthest tables, the place was empty. There wasn’t really any room for dancing, but the Buddha Bar, chill-out music was quite pleasant.I finally spotted Anthony in one of the groups in the back. He was sitting with a group, mostly women, most half-naked, extremely beautiful. They all turned to look at me. Anthony kept staring at me, a cold smile on his lips. It took him a while to change it to the warm one he had gotten me used to. I knew I should walk up to him, but my legs weren’t moving. I saw him taking one more sip from his glass before finally getting up so I took the time to look around.At another table, there were three girls fighting for attention from a guy. I could understand why because he was striking, but it all seemed a bit pathetic. I noticed he was also looking at me, shaking his head and smiling. He seemed to know who I was. He probably did, as he had a brief silent exchange with Anthony as he made his way towards me.“Gorgeous as ever,” Anthony said when he walked up to me. He wore a white button-down shirt and dark jeans, so no superspy. Well, reality is reality, but he was still gorgeous.“Thank you. Interesting….bar.”“It’s a private club, actually. Bar, lounge, restaurant, concert venue, and even dancing club when needed.”“Seems remote enough for a private hangout,” I said, nodding.“Come,” he said, taking my hand. He stopped for a moment to wave to one of the bartenders, then directed me to a table in one corner of the large room. The couch was extremely comfortable, but I felt very uneasy. Both the guy that the girls were fighting over and all the people at Anthony’s table were staring at me.“Relax,” Anthony said, noticing my discomfort. “They are friends and extremely curious. I told them tonight you’re all mine so they have to wait to meet you.”“I see.” I really didn’t understand, but I couldn’t find anything else to say. It was not curiosity I was sensing from them. Plus, he could have spared five minutes to introduce me to them. If he wanted me all to himself, maybe he should not have chosen the place where all his friends liked to hang out.The bartender came and brought us a bottle of chilled champagne, the music changed, and people eventually stopped inspecting me. After a few sips of the dry and cool drink, I started to relax. Anthony was acting as if he couldn’t keep his hands off of me and after a few drinks, I had forgotten everything about the awkwardness of being treated like a circus monkey by his “friends”, and the numbingly cruel smile I had seen on Anthony.Guest Post by Alina Popescu

5 Things I Can’t Write Without

Creative types are weird. Or at least that’s what I like to say, so that I don’t have to fess up that I am weird without the creative bit. So, as all those who create, I have my things that I absolutely need in order to write. It’s a nice way of saying I procrastinate when I should be writing and use these things to blame for my minuscule word count.1. CoffeeThis delicious liquid, preferably hot and with some sugar and milk, is what makes my world go round. I need it like I need air, especially when I’m writing. There are days when I think there’s a little blood running through the coffee in my veins. It’s my one vice and, no, I am not giving it up!2. MusicIt’s not specific music, band or type of song. I just go with shuffle on any of my extensive playlists. Most times, the universe or whatever power that be that rules over music gets me exactly what I need. If not, there’s always the ‘next’ button! Having a bit of everything on my list helps as there’s always something to fit any mood or scenery.3. Something to type onAs long as there’s a keyboard, I am happy. Other than jotting down random ideas and planning books, I can’t write anything with a pen in a notebook, not even the shortest of stories. Unless I am journaling, which i seem to have given up in the past 6 months or so, I needs my machine ruled by ones and zeroes.4. My daily inspiration – books, manga / anime, and sometimes moviesI read a lot and that always inspires me to write more. It’s not necessarily what I read that inspires me, it’s the pleasure I get from doing it that cheers me on. I want to get to write that kind of stories, that people enjoy reading, that stay with them later on. Manga and anime are full of interesting ideas and themes and it’s quite surprising how they can be the sweetest thing ever or the darkest stories you’ve ever encountered. TV series and movies also help, because they help me with how I visually experience my stories.5. Random photos and artThese are always related to a specific story or scene. I sometimes happen to stumble upon a certain photo or a drawing or a painting, and that leads to an idea for a scene, a character, or an entire story. I save them in a special folder or on Pinterest and revisit when it’s time to write.That’s about it! It doesn’t matter where I am or what time it is or what the weather is like. If I have what I need, I just dive right in. Unless distracted by Facebook. Or my dog. Or my phone. Or my need for coffee. Or a new book. Well, you get the picture, I’m sure! *winks*

Author Bio - Alina Popescu

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.

I would like to alert my readers that my opinions are my own and I am not being paid for my reviews. All books not bought are given to me freely and are accepted for an honest review. Receiving ARC's and/or free review copies in no way influences the opinions expressed in my reviews.